A timeline of the life of Edward Koch, former mayor of New York, who passed away today in New York.

Below:

Edward Koch, the three-term mayor of New York City known for his
brash personal style and zest for wheeling and dealing in the
turbulent political arena of the 1970s and 1980s, died this
morning in a hospital bed, reportedly of congestive heart
failure. Koch, a documentary film about the former
mayor's life and times, opens today in theaters around the
country.

His eternal question to the people of New York was "How'm I
doing?" Whether asking rhetorically or not, he was able to make
constituents believe that he was a man of the people who
understood their fears and desires. He used his personal charm
and whatever political capital he could get his hands on --
including two record majorities in his second and third bids for
the mayor's office -- to restore New York as
a world capital.

"Deals are my art form," he said. "Other people paint beautifully
on canvas or write wonderful poetry. I like making deals,
preferably big deals. That's how I get my kicks."

He knew how to sell his personal
brand and never apologized for his rough edges. His battles
were many. He seemed to relish the fight. "You punch me, I punch
back," he
once said. "I do not believe it's good for one's self-respect
to be a punching bag."

1963 -- Reformer: Edward Koch, a Jewish native
of New Jersey and a practicing lawyer with an office on Wall
Street, defeats Carmine DeSapio in a contest to become district
representative of Greenwich Village. DeSapio is an entrenched
member of the powerful political machine known as Tammany Hall.
Koch paints himself as a reform candidate, the first of several
political runs in which he will distinguish himself successfully
from his opponents.

1977 – 'Liberal with sanity': Koch, who by now
has served on the New York City Council and as a U.S.
Congressman, runs for mayor in the Democratic primary against
incumbent Abe Beame and other challengers. In the summer of 1977,
a blackout led to destructive rioting. With the violence still
fresh in voters' minds, Koch brands himself successfully as a
law-and-order candidate -- "a liberal with sanity" -- and wins
the election.

1978 – Brash New Yorker: On Inauguration Day,
Koch
warns reporters that he will speak his mind in all things,
and that while he'll never develop ulcers himself, he "might give
other people ulcers." It is this unapologetic self-possession as
much as his outspokenness for which he will be noted in the years
to come.

1981 -- Man of the people: Koch is reelected
with a record-breaking 75 percent of the vote, becoming the first
New York mayor in history to win both the Republican and the
Democratic nominations.

1984 -- Memoirist: Koch publishes his first
autobiography, Mayor, which is turned into a successful
Off Broadway musical the following year. He goes on to publish a
second memoir, Citizen Koch, in 1992, solidifying himself in the
public imagination.

1985 -- Embattled politician: Reelected to a
third term with a stunning 78 percent of the vote, Koch and his
administration become mired in a corruption scandal that sees
Democratic leaders resigning and going to prison. Though the
convicted officials were not close associates of Koch,
accusations of cronyism and dirty politics tarnish his reputation
during his final years in City Hall.

1989 -- Commentator: Koch's final mayoral term
ends on the last day of the year. After leaving City Hall, he
will go on to have a second career -- in fact many careers --
both in and out of politics. He will speak on television and
radio, endorse commercial products, give lectures, write for
local newspapers and political websites and more. "It's a lot
more fun being a critic than being the one criticized," he
toldNew York magazine.

2007 – Political lion: In a
"Last Word" interview with The New York Times, Koch
revisits his political career and polishes his legacy. "I gave
people back their spirit," he says of his time as mayor, when he
rescued the city from bankruptcy. He also discusses the way in
which he distinguished himself from other "liberals and
reformers" through his support for the death penalty and other
policy issues that many saw as belonging to the political right.

January 2013 -- City icon: Neil Barsky's
documentary film Koch premieres. A look at Koch's life
and personality as well as the lasting impact of his policies,
the film receives a mixed review in the Times. The 90-minute film
is too short for a man like Koch, writes critic A. O. Scott. He
needs "a sprawling epic combining the talents of Sidney Lumet,
Woody Allen, Bob Fosse and Spike Lee."

February 2013 -- Showman to the end: Koch passes
away, incredibly enough on the very day the documentary bearing
his name opens in theaters nationwide. The Times obituary hails
him as "the master showman of City Hall."